"We will hopefully have a positive ID by the middle of the week," he said. "Due to the condition of the body it's been difficult."

There does not appear to have been any foul play, he said.

Sgt. Alan Burt of the Santa Cruz County Sheriff Coroner's Office said an autopsy will be done within the next couple of days.

He said they were in the process of obtaining dental records and that he said he was unsure how long the body had been in the water, but the fact that it had been was making it difficult to identify the man.

"It's a long process," Burt said.

Capitola police had been searching for a local transient reported missing last month and a missing person flyer was posted close to where the body was found.

Christaan Dewaard, 47, was last seen about Nov. 15 and has a history of alcoholism and seizures, according to the flyer.

He was known to law enforcement and frequented the Nob Hill shopping center and other areas, Booth said.

Booth said he believes Dewaard has some family in the area.

He declined to speculate whether the body found Friday might be that of Dewaard.